


Arthur Wrote a Sonnet

by LaBelleetlaloup



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gaius is not helpful, Gen, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Kilgarrah is helpful, Loss of inhibitions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-03-28 18:02:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3864436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaBelleetlaloup/pseuds/LaBelleetlaloup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur wakes up early one morning and writes Merlin a sonnet. A sonnet. He couldn't even write a note on flowers when he was enchanted with Vivian. Why is Merlin the only one who thinks this is a little out of character?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Arthur Wrote a Sonnet

Merlin walked into Arthur’s chambers with his breakfast. He was on time for once, if still half-asleep. However, as he opened the door, Arthur was awake. Merlin started at just that. Arthur was not a morning person. He was never awake. Except that one time that he had been enchanted to fall in love with the one princess. He had been awake all the time then. Merlin was standing there gawking as Arthur turned towards him and then beamed. Merlin’s eyes widened. Arthur was in a good mood in the morning. The apocalypse had arrived.

“Merlin!” Arthur cried happily, “There you are! It seems like I’ve been waiting for hours. I love you!” Merlin stared at him.

“Arthur?” he started, speaking slowly. He had no idea how to respond to that.

“I wrote you a sonnet!” Arthur announced, turning towards the table. Merlin choked on air. Arthur turned back towards him, holding a piece of parchment. Merlin just thrust the breakfast tray into Arthur’s hands.

“Stay here,” Merlin ordered, turning and hurrying back out the door, shutting it firmly behind him before sprinting for Gaius.

¤

“Merlin?” Gaius was watching the door as Merlin rushed through. “I wasn’t expecting you back for hours.”

“Arthur’s been enchanted,” Merlin’s words all ran together.

“What?” Gaius started in shock.

“He thinks he’s in love with me!” Merlin explained.

“Oh, Merlin,” Gaius chuckled, looking at him pityingly. “He isn’t enchanted.” Merlin stared at Gaius for a long moment. Then Gaius stood and steered Merlin out the door. “Go back and apologize for however you left the poor boy.” Merlin gawked as Gaius shut the door in Merlin’s face.

“Are you crazy?” Merlin demanded of the closed door. Gaius did not respond. Merlin trudged slowly back to Arthur’s room. Since he was on his own, he may as well start trying to figure out how Arthur got enchanted. Merlin opened the door to find Arthur sniffling on the floor, surrounded by the knights and Gwen. They were all murmuring comfortingly. Merlin gaped at them. Gwen looked up as the door whined on its hinges.

“Merlin!” she looked equally relieved and angry. “Why did you just leave Arthur like that? He spent ages on that sonnet!” Merlin gaped at her for a long moment as everyone looked up at him. More than half the knights looked murderous.

“Are you all crazy?” he demanded after a moment. He was met with confused silence.

“What?” Arthur spoke for everyone.

“Arthur has obviously been enchanted to make a fool of himself. One: I’m his manservant. Two: Arthur hates me. He never has anything good to say about me. Three: I’m a man and so is he! Why am I the only one who doesn’t think that this is weird?”

“Merlin!” Leon chastised.

“How dare you be so rude?” Percival asked.

“Arthur’s baring his soul and all you have to say is that you’re his manservant?” Gwen shook her head at him, “I am sincerely disappointed in you, Merlin. I thought you were a better person than that.” Merlin stared at her in complete disbelief.

“I’m terribly sorry that I’m concerned about Uther taking Arthur’s head off for breaking about twelve laws,” Merlin snapped, “I don’t understand why I’m the only one concerned about the fact that Arthur is acting completely out of character, but fine. I’ll apologize for trying to keep Arthur from getting himself killed, disowned or exiled.” Everyone was gaping at him as though Merlin was the one being ridiculous.

“Merlin,” Arthur whimpered, “Why don’t you believe me? I wrote you a sonnet and everything.”

“Am I the only one who saw the executions last week?” Merlin sighed heavily.

“What executions?” Arthur asked.

“The silk trader and his partner,” Gwen answered with sad eyes.

“Oh, right,” Gwaine nodded, “I forgot that was their crime.”

“What crime?” Arthur was still confused.

“They were lovers,” Merlin answered, “And they were both men. It’s illegal under your father’s rule. Not to mention it’s highly frowned upon to take a servant as a lover.”

“But…” Arthur tried to protest.

“Have you eaten anything that didn’t taste right lately, or you didn’t recognize?” Merlin asked, cutting him off.

“No, why?” Arthur asked. Merlin sighed and walked over to the bed, searching it for magical poultices. They could induce crazed infatuations as well. Everyone watched him silently. Merlin swore under his breath at finding nothing.

“Arthur, don’t tell anyone outside this room about anything that’s happened today and stay away from your father,” Merlin was heading for the door again, “I’m going to go try and figure out what happened to you.”

“I fell in love,” Arthur stated, looking annoyed at Merlin. Merlin shrugged the expression off and closed the door firmly again. He headed down to the Dragon. Perhaps someone would take his concerns seriously.

¤

“I do not think it is a love enchantment, young warlock,” the Dragon replied after Merlin spilled his story out. “Don’t protest… I think it is an enchantment of some sort to make Arthur reveal his deepest secrets to reveal his weaknesses. I agree that Arthur is not usually so open with his emotions naturally.”

“Oh,” Merlin sighed, “Finally, someone who doesn’t think I’m crazy. Everyone has been acting like I’m over-reacting. Arthur had me write all his love notes for all his paramours and pick their flowers and everything. I think the fact that he wrote an entire sonnet is ridiculously out of character.”

“Yes, you are correct,” the Dragon nodded, “Arthur is acting unusually. However, I think it is a secret-spilling enchantment of some sort.”

“Thank you,” Merlin grinned at the Dragon, “I seriously owe you one!”

“You owe me a lot, young warlock,” the Dragon replied. Merlin chuckled as he ran out of the cave, hurrying back up to the castle.

¤

Gaius was not there when Merlin reached the physician’s chambers. Merlin bolted the door shut from the inside. Gaius had proven earlier that he would be no help at all, and when Gaius thought you were crazy he sent you on wild goose chases and lied outright. Merlin knew he would work better with his mentor not helping him. After closing and locking the windows as well, he sent his magic to work: searching for an explanation for Arthur’s condition.

There were many dead ends and long hours of Merlin’s stomach rumbling and growling in protest to being ignored before Merlin found the answer. There was an odorless, tasteless potion that caused people to lose all their inhibitions. That would explain Arthur: crying, writing poetry, proclaiming his love for Merlin and showing emotions publicly. Arthur would never do that in real life. Merlin had fixed the antidote and was headed to the kitchens for a much-needed meal before he realized that the fact that Arthur had just lost his inhibitions meant he actually did love Merlin. Merlin shook the thought away and decided to deal with it later. He needed food. Gwen was in the kitchen, getting Arthur’s dinner, when Merlin walked in. She glared pointedly at him and stalked off. Merlin ignored her. He was not as much of an idiot as everyone thought he was. Something was wrong with Arthur, even the Dragon agreed with him. After scarfing down what little food the kitchen maids would give him, as the Camelot gossip wheel was working just fine, Merlin hurried up to Arthur’s room.

He opened the door to find Arthur lying on his bed, his food untouched. Gwen and the knights were grouped around him, cajoling him to eat. Arthur was ignoring them. Merlin sighed quietly and walked further into the room, letting his boots fall harder against the floor to get everyone’s attention. He was met with glares by everyone except Arthur. Arthur was eyeing him in wary excitement. Merlin kept his eyes on Arthur.

“I need to talk to you alone, Arthur,” Merlin let his tone leave no room for argument. The knights responded well to the order and left, dragging an unwilling Gwen with them.

“Yes, Merlin?” Arthur was grinning, but still looked wary.

“I found out what happened,” Merlin replied, “You ingested a potion that is both odorless and tasteless that strips you of your inhibitions. That’s why you’ve been acting strangely.” He pulled out the vial holding the antidote. “Here’s the antidote. I really don’t want to have to force you to take it, but I will if necessary. The prince needs to have inhibitions.” Arthur looked like a kicked puppy.

“If this will make you happy,” Arthur held out his hand for the vial. Merlin handed it over with a sigh.

“I never said I didn’t care for you, Arthur,” he replied, “Don’t look so sad. I just don’t want your father to get angry with you.” Arthur had uncapped the vial and froze with it above his lips.

“Really?” he started to smile.

“Yeah, now take the antidote,” Merlin smiled encouragingly. Arthur acquiesced. It took a moment, but then Arthur blushed a bright red and looked like he was going to be sick.

“What did I do?” Arthur demanded, “Why did I do that?”

“It was actually a love potion, but you responded horribly to that earlier, so I lied,” Merlin spoke the lie calmly. Arthur calmed visibly.

“I cannot believe none of the knights realized anything was wrong,” Arthur grumbled.

“You can get them back in training tomorrow,” Merlin shrugged, “Your food is getting cold. You should eat.” Both their stomachs rumbled.

“You spent all day finding the antidote, huh?” Arthur walked over to the table and sat. Merlin nodded. “Join me, there’s some cold stuffs left from lunch.” It was still good, and they devoured the food in silence. It was soon gone and Merlin pushed back his chair with a grin.

“Thanks, prat,” he offered.

“Thanks, idiot,” Arthur replied. Merlin nodded and went to leave the room. Arthur let him. He had never gotten fully dressed that morning anyway. Gaius was livid about the mess Merlin had left from finding and making the antidote, and also that he had been locked out of his own chambers all day. Merlin walked right by him without responding and closed the door to his room. It had been a long day.


End file.
